Improvement in irons for smoothing clothes



W. H. D. SWEET.

IRON FOR SMOOTHING CLOTHES.

Patented 0ct.31.1876.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. D. SWEET, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN IRONS FOR SMOOTHING CLOTHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 183,783, dated October31, 1876; application filed February 21, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. D. SWEET, of the city and county ofAlbany and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementon Irons for Smoothing, Pressing, or Fluting Clothes, of which thefollowing is a full and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, making a part of this specification, in whichFigure 1 is a side elevation of a sad-iron; Fig. 2, a horizontal sectionat the line at .90, and Fig. 3 a longitudinal section at the lineMyinvention consists in constructing these irons with a tight chamber,as herein shown and described, so that steam or other heated fluids maybe admitted therein, either in a constant or an intermittent stream, forthe purpose of imparting thereto the requisite degree of heat.

As shown in the drawing, A is the body of the iron, which may be made inany form required to suit the purpose for which it is to be used; 13, asteam-tight chamber formed in the body of the iron, having in its bottoma depression, formed substantially as shown in Fig. 3, for the purposeof draining the water therefrom, which I preferably make near the bottomof the iron, so that the heat will be more readily conducted through thebody of the metal at that surface; 0, an inductionopening, provided witha coupling-pipe for attaching thereto a flexible pipe for conveying thesteam into the chamber 13; D, an eduction-opening, leading from thechamber B at the lowest point of its depression, so that the Water willflow freely therefrom by means of its gravity; it is also provided witha couplingpipe, to which another flexible tube is con-' nect-ed, tocarry 0E the condensed or cooler portion of the fluids from the chamber.

The eduction-tube may be provided with any proper appliance to governthe flow of steam or fluids through the chamber, so as to prevent anyuseless waste thereof.

The induction-tube is connected to the supply-pipe of a steam-generator,and, by means of the current of steam passing into the chamber B, theiron is constantly kept properly heated, so as to avoid the delays andloss of time incident to the changing and reheating of the irons.

Instead of steam, water or other fluids properly heated may becirculated through the chamber for the purpose of heating the irons;but, preferably, I use steam.

When preferred, the flexible tubes may be dispensed with, and theheating effected by an intermittent flow of steam. For this purpose Imake a single opening, of greater diameter, into the chamber, asindicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, which serves for the purpose ofadmitting the steam into the chamber, and the escape of the condensationtherefrom. When constructed in this manner I make the tube or pipesurrounding such opening so as to attach it readily to a valve of asteam-supply pipe; but, preferably, I make my irons with the flexibletubes, as hereinbefore described, as by so doing it is manifest that asingle iron only will be required for the use of each operative.

I claim as my invention- The combination, in the iron A, of the chamberB, having an inclined bottom, with the induction-opening O andeduction-opening D, as and for the purpose herein specified.

WILLIAM H. D. SWEET. Witnesses:

SANFORD R. HASKELL, WILLIAM H. Low.

